Hey Octet fans - it's time for something exciting and new. The UC Men's Octet Archives have just hit YouTube, and the archivist (an Octet Alumni) is sharing classic Octet music with YouTube. Enjoy "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" below, and then click on the link (even further below) to enjoy other Octet classics. I am SO excited for this to happen, and I hope you will enjoy all the music to come from this INCREDIBLE group.)

Also, I am going to announce the official 2013-2014 Octet as soon as I know, for sure, who are in the group. I KNOW that we have 2 Kyles, and one of them is an alumni, and American Idol contestant. Oh, yeah. It's gonna be a good year.

Another review piece for the "Gold" CD. This time, it's the Octet's arrangement of "Hair" from the 1960's hippy musical that goes by the same name. Since the Octet's version was my first encounter with the song, I'd like to begin by letting you see and hear the original. Well, it's from the movie...made in 1979.

You can see it in the video: youth, anti-establishment, free-love, violent prison beatings...oh well, there have to be some drawbacks to having long hair, eh. It's an entertaining clip.

But this was my introduction to the musical.

The Octet's version actually begins with "She asks me why I'm just a hairy guy." I took the sample from a several seconds into the song.

The arrangement is wonderful. The soloist has a great/strong voice, and the backing singers really make this song fly. Every time I hear this song, I'm literally bopping my head to the music and singing loudly with the Octet (much to the chagrin of those around me.)

For me, since I heard the Octet version before the movie version, I have to say that the Octo-version sounds "more correct". The perfect version.

This is one of my 3 FAVORITES on the Gold CD (and, indeed, one of my favorites for all the Octet music I have or have heard.) I like all of their music. I love most of their music. But this. This is spec-freaking-tacular!

So...I guess I'll just be doing spot-reviews. I did figure out what I did wrong with the uploads. No. It wasn't the computer. It was me. I take all the blame for that.

And, with that, I shall review again. Possibly Friday. But I procrastinate, so don't hold me to it.